Our History Started in 1993, the Festival is an annual celebration of our town’s creativity and unique landscape. We are one of Yorkshire’s longest running arts festivals with a reputation for delivering big names in a local setting. There have been festivals and pageants in Hebden Bridge going back hundreds of years and the Arts Festival is at the heart of this rich and diverse continuum.
Hebden Bridge is a glorious place to visit – home to a wondrous mix of independent shops and plenty of coffee & cake. Popular with ramblers, cyclists, tourists, families, skate boarders, artists, buskers, dogs and ducks! There is a strong community spirit which is brimming with support for one another and pulls together when help is needed to clean up after flooding hits.
There are numerous special places in town including the award winning
Trades Club for music lovers, an art deco
Picture House community cinema, and community hub at the
Town Hall.
Our Impact on the Community
We regularly attract over 20,000 people to our annual events. Almost half of the events are free for the whole community to enjoy.
We support local artists and create freelance commissions. We like to produce projects that include local school pupils, groups and anyone interested in culture and heritage. Over 40 volunteers give their time and energy to make the festival happen.
In a survey of festival audiences the sense of community created in the town was the most cited reason for why people support the Hebden Bridge Arts Festival.
We attract audiences from Halifax, Manchester, Leeds, Bradford and Huddersfield!
